Guard rail attachment for beds



Jan. 5, 1954 A. w. LEHMAN GUARD RAIL ATTACHMENT FOR BEDS Filed May 14, 1949 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,664,57 6 GUARD RAIL ATTACHMENT FOR BEDS Albert W. Lehman, Stillwater, Minn., assignor to St. Croix Manufacturing Company, Bayport, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May 14, 1949, Serial No. 93,310

4 Claims.

. l This invention relates to.a device which is adapted to be attached to and to extend along and above a side of a bed to guard against ac- .cidental falling of the occupant to the floor, the

device being particularly although not exclusively adapted for use where a young child, after outgrowing an infants crib, is to use an ordinary bed and the child needs the protection afforded by a side guard rising above the sleeping surace.

It is an object of my invention to provide a novel guard structure adapted to be securely and detachably fastened, with'a minimum of effort, tomost of the beds of the several types in common use.

A particular object is to provide such a guard structure with novel attaching means comprising clamp members adapted to securely grip the side frame members of ordinary beds when the guard structure is merely moved into place and thrust downward. My invention also includes certain novel details of construction which will be more fully pointed out and described in the following specification and claims.

,Referringto the accompanying drawing which illustrates, by way of example and not for the purpose of limitation, a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing my guard'structure in place on a bed of common yp Q Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an inner side elevational view of the lower portion of one of the posts of the guard structure and showing the clamping mechanism carried thereby; g Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through the clamping mechanism and portion of the post shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view jaw plates;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an auxiliary rail for supporting my guard structure on a bed of the common Hollywood type, and

Fig. 7 is an end view of the guard structure in place on a bed of the Hollywood type.

Referring to'the drawing, the guard structure comprises a pair .of normally vertical posts 8 which are rigidly connected together by rail members 9 and 9a and means carried by the lower end portions of the posts 8 for attaching the structure in upright position upon aside frame member ill or similar support extending of one of the clamp 2 along the side of a bed. The member I0 is of the common type having substantially fiat, vertically disposed inner and outer surfaces and a substantially horizontally extending upper edge surface. My improved clamping mechanism is duplicated on each of the posts 8 and is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The lower end portion of each of the posts 8 is rabbeted to afford a rigid jaw member ll adapted to overlap one of the vertical sides of the bed frame member I1). Extending obliquely inward and upward from the opposite side of the post 8 is a kerf defining a wedge surface l2 forguiding a movable clamp jaw member. This movable jaw comprises a rigid plate indicated generally by the numeral I3 having a lower end jaw portion hi adapted to extend along the post and in parallel relation to the jaw member II. An upper portion I5 of the plate l3 extends obliquely upward to slidably fit in the kerf defining the wedge surface l2. The wedge surface and portion l5 of the plate are preferably disposed at an angle of approximately 15 degrees to a plane contact surface Ha formed on the jaw member II. Integral with the plate [3 and projecting therefrom toward the jaw member II is a rigid projection it having a flat bottom surface adapted to engage the upper edge surface of the bed frame member l8.

Formed in the oblique portion of the plate It and extending longitudinally thereof is an elongated slot l'i adapted to receive a rivet l8 and screw I9 for slidably fastening the plate on the post 8. The plate [3 is thus free to move downward from the full line position shown in Fig. 4 to approximately the broken line position shown therein. When the guard structure is held in its normal upright position, the plate It is biased downward by gravity to extend the jaw portion It to an open position wherein this portion'ofthe plate is spaced laterally from the-contact surface Ila of the jaw member H to the maximum degree.

To adapt my device for use on beds of the com mon Hollywood type, which are not ordinarily provided with side frame members extending along the side of the spring or mattress support, I provide the auxiliary supporting rail shown in Figs'fi and '7. This device has a rail 29 of thickness corresponding to that of any of the common side frame members It and projecting from the innenside of the rail 25 are angle brackets 2| having horizontally extending arms 22 adapted to" be secured to the bottom of a box spring 23 (Fig. 7) or other mattress support for a :bed of the Hollywood type, the arms 22 being perforated to receive screws for making the fastening. Thus the rail 20 may be mounted in position to support the guard structure in any selected or desirable position at a side of the Hollywood bed, as indicated in Fig. 7.

In use, to securely fasten my guard structure to a member l E! of a bed the jaw members l4 carried by the posts 8 are passed downward adjacent to the inner surface of the member ID and theguard structure is moved downward .tocause the projection IE to engage the upper edge surface of the frame member iii and with the jaw member I l adjacent to ithe exterior surface thereof. A moderate degree of downward pressure is applied to force the jaw portion into gripping engagement with the frame member ID by the Wedge action of the oblique portion 51in sliding engagement with the wedge surface I2. .This securely fastens the guardistructureinplace one bed without further manipulation irrespective of the variations in thickness .of the .f-rame members i of beds of any of the rcomm'on mod- .ern types of construction. By similar manipulation the device may be attached to a .rail 20 mountedion beds of other types.

To detach the guard structure when not needed, .it isonly necessary to apply a moderate degree of upward foreetoone of the Trails 9 or 9a .tothereby draw the jaw-portions i4 upward and awayfrem the con-tact surface Ii, thus freeing the device from the side frame member 1G (or rail 20 in case the latter is used). When in use the -;guard l-structure'is secure against accidental displacement and operates :to --effectively confine the occupant of the bed against accidental falling from the gu-ardedside of the bed.

.Need for the present device often arises where a young child who has become accustomed to a cribvhaving guarded sides relies on the protection of the rSldBS "and is likely, during the early period of use of Man ordinary .adults bed, .to accidentally fall from the bed while sleeping. My

device is so simple, inexpensive and compact that g itvmaybe stored conveniently when not in -use-or transported as conveniently as hand luggage .in an automobile :orother vehicle-for use by tourists or when the user is absent from home.

Having described my invention, what Iclaimas new-:and desice toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. For a bed having a side frame member formed with substantially vertically and oppositely disposed surfaces .and an upper edge surface, a guard structure adapted to .extend along and above said frame member, .end posts forming parts of said structure and having portions formed :to overlie .one of the substantially vertically-disposed surfaces of said framememberand clam-ping means carried .by each of said posts and comprising .an elongated .rigid rflate having a lower portion extending along the lower end portion of the post and an upper portion extending obliquely upward at an .acute angle crossways of the post, .said post having a wedge surf-ace for sliding engagement With said upper portion of the plate, means for guiding the plate for limited movement .along the post and a ,rigid projection on said plate disposed to engage the upperedge surface of said framemember, whereby when said guard structure is positioned on said Ira-me member downward pressure exerted by or applied to the guard structure will cause said plate to be actuated to grip said frame momher between the lower portions of the post and plate.

2. For a bed, the combination of a side frame member formed with substantially vertically disposed inner and outer surfaces and an upper edge surface, a guard structure extending along and above said frame member, said structure having end posts forming "parts of said structure and having portions formed to overlie -the outer surface of said frame member, and clamping means carried by each of said posts and comprising an elongated rigid plate having a lower portion extending along the inner side of the post ,a'ndan upper portion extending obliquely upward at an acute :angle crossways of the post, said post being "provided with a wedge member for sliding engagement withusaid upper portion of the plate,

and a rigid projection on said plate disposed to engage the upper edge surface of said frame member, whereby when said guard structure is positioned on saiddrame member downward pressure applied to .said :structure will cause said plate to be actuated to grip .tsa-i'd frame Smemb'er between the lower-portions .o'f saidplate and post.

3. :For 'a bed having a 'mattress support the combination :of .a member of saidsupport extending along :a side of the bed, :azrai'l having .Sl'lbstantially vertically disposed side surfaces and an upper edge surface, :means rigidly supper-ting said rail on said member of the mattress support, a guard structure extending along and above said rail, a rigid :jaw :depe11dir1g:from :sai'd structure for engagement with one of said substantially vertically :disposed surfaces of the rail, a second jaw depending from said structure and movable to and from said rigid j aw for engagement with the other substantially vertically disposed surface of said :ra'il and means including a member projecting from :said second 'ja'w for engagement with the upper edge surface of said rail, whereby when said structure is positioned on said frail downward FPIBSSLIIE :exerted by or applied to said structure will cause :said second jaw :to bemoved toward .said rigid j aw togrip said rail.

.4. For a bed having .a side :frame Linem'ber formed with substantially vertically disposed surfaces and an upper surface, 7a guard structure adapted to extend along and above .said frame member and means for attaching said guard structure to said side :frame member comprising, a jaw depending from said structure for engagement with :one of :said substantially vertically disposed surfaces, '.a second jaw movablezto and from said first mentioned jaw and engageable with the other substantially vertical surface of said frame member, wedge :means .operatively connecting said jaws together anda member projectingrfrom said second jaw for engagement with the upper surface of said frame tm'ember where by when the guard structure is positioned onssaid frame member downward pressure applied by or through said guard structure will cause :sa idsec- 0nd jaw to be moved toward said first'mentioned law to grip said frame members between the respective jaws.

ALBERT W. LEHMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

'&94,56G Floyd .Apr. 4, 1893 1395,4583 .Haas Feb. :25, .1919

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